RUSSIAN AND AZERBAIJANI LANGUAGES AS OBJECTS OF LANGUAGE POLICY IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

Sociolinguistic situations in the post-Soviet space countries represent a special type of intricate configurations involving such parameters as a high level of national and ethnic self-awareness and the corresponding understanding of the national (title) language as a high-order value, a common historical past, and an inherited complex structure of relations between Russian and the title language, and the influence of modern geopolitical, economic and demographic factors on the language situation. This article, taking into account these parameters, focuses on the issues related to the dynamics of language policy, language planning and language legislation in the Republic of Azerbaijan in the period from the late USSR to the present time. It shows the role of the national, state and linguistic proper ideology of three successively ruling parties in making decisions regarding the management of multilingualism, primarily between the Azerbaijani and Russian languages in the Republic and the regulation of the linguistic situation in the institutional areas of communication. The article also touches on the role and place of language in the field of international politics of Azerbaijan, in particular, cultural cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan.